SOUTH AFRICA Two young criminals attempted to extort street vendors. They came to them with a demand for protection money – if they paid, they would be safe; if not, they would beat them or destroy their business. But the sellers didn’t worry about them. They gathered around them and beat them so much that they will hardly ever show up at that place again.
Although a similar reaction from the sellers is understandable, it is not legal. No one has the right to physically assault anyone and take the law into their own hands, even if it is an extortionist. If you find yourself in a similar situation, always only perform a citizen’s arrest and call the police to the scene.
